The Boss Maresca Calls Lead-Up Period as The 'Worst Two Days' with the Blues
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca revealed that the preparation to Saturday's triumph against Everton represented "the worst 48 hours" since his arrival with the London club.
The Italian offered a puzzling statement in his post-match media briefing despite securing a 2-0 win at home through strikes from Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto.
Those crucial points sent Chelsea once again into the English top flight's top four, potentially improving the atmosphere following a defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League that had extended the side's winless run to consecutive fixtures.
Yet, when asked about the full-back's assist and general display, Maresca surprisingly disclosed his displeasure over the preceding two days within the club.
"How the squad are eager to improve has been fantastic and this is the explanation why I praise them - because with numerous challenges, they are doing very well after a difficult week," he commented.
"Since I joined the club, the past 48 hours have been the toughest because many people didn't support us."
Pressed on the specifics, the former Leicester City boss continued: "Most difficult 48 hours since I came to the club because people failed to back me and the team."
When questioned if he was referring to people internally at Chelsea, he responded: "In general. Overall," before clarifying when queried if it was directed towards fans or the press: "I adore the fans and we are very content with the fans."
Injury and Disciplinary Woes
Maresca also highlighted Chelsea's persistent injury and suspension problems, remarking they had been missing star attacker Cole Palmer for much of the season, as well as being deprived of key midfielder Moises Caicedo to a three-game ban and forward Liam Delap to two serious injuries.
"I really applaud the players and the squad because we have played 16 Premier League games, five of them without Moises Caicedo, 11 of them without Cole Palmer, almost all of them without Liam Delap," he explained.
"And this squad, regardless of who is on the pitch, they are doing exceptionally. Today was 5 games in 12 days so certainly when you see Cole Palmer there, we said many times that he's our best player but we play the vast majority of the season without our top player.
"We play five games in the Premier League minus Moises Caicedo. This is the explanation why I'm so pleased for the players and it's something that I would like people externally to appreciate because the effort from the players is outstanding."
Chelsea's win over Everton consolidated their position in fourth in the Premier League standings, with a Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Cardiff and a league trip to Newcastle to come next week.
Uncertainty Over Maresca's Remark
It was unclear what exactly prompted Maresca to label the previous 48 hours as the most difficult of his tenure as Chelsea manager.
In that period, the coach had traveled back with his staff and players from Bergamo, held a training session at the training ground, attended a pre-match press briefing where he seemed relaxed, and engineered a win over an in-form Everton side.
It was not obvious whether any particular press stories had unsettled him, if social media discourse were a factor, or if it was something deeper from inside the club at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca only sought to deny that it was an issue related to the club's fans, a section of which have not yet fully embrace him since his appointment from Leicester during July 2024.
